Spearmint

13. Julia

July 2018

It had been a month, a month since he asked her if he could bring someone home, another woman. Everything seemed as normal as it could be at first. The first week they spent time together, they watched movies that played on the television or sometimes he would pull out a movie from his collection.

After the first week it was hell, it felt like almost every time he walked behind her he was grabbing her ass or trying to grab her crotch. When they would watch movies he would move his hand in between her thighs, she would have to bare his groping, she didn't want to get slapped.

At night he didn't force himself on her but he insisted on having his hand up her shirt. She tried to move his hand when he was sleeping sometimes but then he would subconsciously move it back in his sleep.

Their new routine consisted of breakfast, feeding the pigs, clean all day while Muse's eyes were glued to her back, when he was hungry she made him lunch, then back to cleaning until dinner. Most days she didn't have much cleansing to do so she just pretended to. He said he needed the house as clean as possible.

Muse picked up the habit of smoking or he had always smoked and didn't reveal it to her until then. Whenever he wanted a cigarette he forced her to open the large window that faced the side of the house. Sometimes if he was in a mood he would sit on the back deck and have a cigarette. If she didn't clean something to his expectation he threatened to burn her with them.

Julia slowly started slipping into a depression, she no longer wanted to get up, she didn't want to clean and she no longer wanted to cook. Everytime she asked to go out with him he refused and told her that she didn't need to come, he wouldn't even let her outside to visit the pigs. Her hopes to get out dwindled especially after Eric came over and installed a security system that would let Muse know if she was trying to escape. It made a horrible beeping sound that rang through the entire house (except the cellar.)

Eric seemed apologetic about installing the system, he kept looking at her with pity filled brown eyes while his tattooed hands worked away. She knew Eric knew she wasn't there by free will but she also knew he wouldn't rat out Muse it would be dangerous.

Muse had started to enforce his no talking without rule again. It was fine with Julia because the urge to talk to him became less and less. Everytime she talked without permission he would push her up against any surface and would slap her butt as hard as he could. She would have to bite her lip in order not to give him the satisfaction of causing her to scream out.

"Julia," Muse called to her as she was pouring the dirty water from the cleaning bucket out.

"Yes," she answered.

"I'm going out," he told her.

"Can I please come with you?" she asked every time but she knew the answer.

"No!"

"Will you be back in time for dinner?"

"Yes," he told her.

"Chicken again?"

"Whatever," he snapped. Julia bit her lip. He was truly an asshole.

She was angry at herself for taking that night shift.

"Room!" he reminded her. Julia sighed before she dropped the bucket.

She left the room and walked to the red door,"I still have to make dinner," she reminded him. She didn't get a chance to say anything else before she felt a sting on her cheek.

"I didn't say you could talk."

"Sorry," she kept her eyes down. He shook his head before he unlocked the red door and ushered her down. He didn't come back for at least three hours after locking her in the cellar.

When she did come upstairs the house smelt like alcohol and cigarettes. She would have asked him what had happened but she figured she would get another slap across the face.

She only made soup and bagels for that night's dinner because it was the only thing in the house to make and Muse was hungry and wanted food ASAP.

She felt like she was walking on eggshells around him and that frightened her, he was starting to become more abusive and she knew it would get worse the longer she was there.

That night in bed after they changed into their pj's and Muse's hand was up her shirt she decided to take a small risk.

"Muse?"

"Hmm," he hummed into her hair.

"Can I speak?"

"Yes."

"We are still married right?"

Muse sat up, "yes, why would you ask."

"I was just wondering if we could change something," she muttered. She prepared for the slap but it never came.

"What do you want to change?"

"I want to be able to speak without being scared anymore," she bit her lip.

"You are scared of me?"

Yes, no, kinda. "Only when I forget to ask about speaking."

She felt his stature relax, "I'm sorry," he told her.

"It is okay, I just want the change, please," she whimpered.

"Of course," he brushed a piece of her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips to her skin. His teeth nipped at the spot and she let out a whimper. "I'm glad you like that," he muttered before he laid back down and pressed her to his chest.

One problem eliminated.